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Article
Courtesy of Local 6 News --
Published July 10, 2007
Florida's
salty air is creating potential disaster for some balconies in apartments,
condominiums and houses, possibly on the verge of collapsing , according
to a Local 6 investigation.
| The report featured a
condominium complex in Central Florida that has been boarded
up because every balcony had become a major safety risk.
"Floor by floor, (the balconies)
were literally crumbling away from the inside out," Local
6's Mike Holfeld said.
Photos that aired during the
report were taken in various stages of the corrosion effect of
the balconies.
"They are the visual
warning signs you need to look for on any deck, balcony or
support beam," Holfeld reported.
"When you get above 70
degrees Fahrenheit, every 10 degrees the corrosion rate
doubles," said Bill |
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Crumbling
balconies have Central Floridians in some cases steps away from
disaster |
Schutt,
one of the country's leading experts on the corrosion effect. "So, the
corrosion rate in Florida is very, very bad. And the reinforcing corrodes
and the railings corrode -- everything."
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| About a year ago, corroded
railings and bolts at a Cape Canaveral apartment created panic
when a homeowner plummeted from his second-story balcony and
was injured.
Holfeld reported that the victim didn't
see the warning signs.
Last
year, a beachside balcony nearly Fort Lauderdale collapsed.
Investigators said it was probably weakened by Hurricane Wilma
and corrosion finished the job.
Schutt
said the cases should be a wake-up call for any Florida
resident.
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"If
they feel a railing is loose or they see cracked concrete, they've got to
participate and make sure it's safe for them their children and
grandchildren," Schutt said.
The White House named Schutt one of the foremost experts
on the effect.
"Schutt tells us if you notice any signs of
breakdown in the concrete, you should have an engineer examine it just to be
safe," Holfeld said.
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